Investing for Life

Sermon OverviewScripture Passage: Genesis 37Life is not lived in length, it is lived in depth. There are many people who are existing, but they are not living; we should desire that our lives count for the Lord. Perhaps the most Christ-like character in the Old Testament was Joseph. His story in Genesis 37 gives us insight into investing in a worthwhile life.First, we must learn to dream; we should find God’s will for our lives and lean in. Adrian Rogers says, “God doesn’t promise to fulfill our fantasies, but God does want to give us a divine aspiration, divine inspiration, divine inclination, to be what we ought to be.” If we want to know the difference between our selfish inclinations and our God-given ambitions, we should ponder them in our hearts in divine, wise scrutiny.Second, we must remember our distinctiveness. Joseph was different, distinct, because of his nobility. His brothers hated him because he would not conform. The world wants to squeeze us into its mold. But Romans 12:2 reminds us, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”When we refuse to conform, the world resents our nobility in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why, thirdly, we must learn to turn problems into possibilities. Adrian Rogers says, “God doesn’t want you to have an easy life; God wants you to have an exciting life. God put Joseph through all of these troubles because He was training him.”Joseph was sold as a slave by his brothers, then later falsely accused and thrown in prison. But he used his hardships as a reason to practice the presence of God, as we should learn to do.When the Bible says that, “God was with him,” it means that God was for him, working on his behalf. God was with him, not only in times of mundane servitude but in his persecution, his temptation, his slander, and his suffering. How humbling it is to know God is with us, too!Apply it to your lifeWould you like to invest in your life -- living in depth? Learn to dream, remember your distinctiveness, turn your problems into possibilities and practice the presence of God. Remember, as Adrian Rogers says, “The highest place is just in the center of God’s will, wherever it is.”